NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – If you didn’t file taxes and still want to collect between $500 and $1,000 of tax rebates or economic relief payments from the state of New Mexico, you’ve got about another ten days to apply. The state’s Tax and Revenue Department announced an extension of the deadline for non-filers Wednesday, pushing the new deadline out to June 10.
The new deadline matters to those who haven’t filed taxes, and haven’t yet applied for the direct cash assistance from the state. The money comes from a one-day special legislative session on April 4, where lawmakers and the governor passed a bill pushing out direct payments to tax filers and non-filer statewide as a way to address high gas prices and inflationary pressure.
The payments are planned in two rounds of $250 for individuals, and two rounds of $500 for joint filers or “households.” The first round of payments started in mid-May, while the second round is expected in August.
For those who’ve filed taxes, the payments are mostly automatic. However, non-filers now have until 5 p.m. MDT on June 10, 2022 to submit paperwork to the Tax and Revenue Department and Human Services Department.
The state says roughly $1.9 in unclaimed direct relief remains available for non-filers. Roughly $18.1 million in relief payments has already been approved for people who’ve filed applications as tax non-filers
Applications for non-filers who want an economic relief payment must be submitted online through the New Mexico Humans Services Department’s “Yes NM” website at www.yes.state.nm.us.
The state warns that applications may be closed before June 10, if available funds run out. Payments are available to applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
People who’ve already filed their 2021 taxes don’t need to do much, and chances are they’ve already gotten the first payout from the state. According to the state, individual tax filers using direct deposit already began receiving initial $250 payments around May 18, while joint tax filers began receiving initial $500 payments later that week.
Meanwhile, paper checks for another 200,000 taxpayers started going out in late May. Again, the second round of payouts will start going out in August.
“There is still time for New Mexicans who don’t file a tax return to apply for a relief payment,” said Stephanie Schardin Clarke, secretary of the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. “But even if someone isn’t able to get an application in on time, they will still have the option of filing a 2021 Personal Income Tax return through May 2023.”
